One of the biggest problems the fire service has is its credibility. I received multiple e-mails over the past few weeks about a confined space training near-miss that in reading the information, I found to be pretty troubling.

Maybe it’s the observation that many of the politicians who are quick to take credit for the nation’s preparedness are slow to ever visit a fire station, or maybe it’s my expectation that instead of having to beg for the table scraps that our law enforcement brethren leave for us, we might also get a seat at the main table, but I just don’t see the fire service gaining the amount of respect that we deserve for the sacrifices we make.

For some of the new readers here, not only is Firehouse Zen about enlightened leadership, it is about management issues and creative solutions to ongoing problems in the emergency service industry. If you are a long-time reader, you may recall our discussions in the past regarding disaster response and credentialing, and in an effort to […]

Distance separates us. Of course it does, you are probably thinking. That’s not that much of a revelation. But distance separates us all the more so because by being distant, or more so, by not being alike, it also indicates a schism between you and I. The fire and emergency services are united in our […]

I hate to break free in the middle of this series like this, but there were some comments made that I wanted to discuss. Since one is on one post and the other is on another post, I felt the need to tie them together and talk really quickly to the issue. On June 15, […]

I was sharing some information with a colleague tonight and I realized that perhaps some of you reading might like access to this research as well. This is my paper on Developing a Strategic Plan for the South Carolina Urban Search and Rescue Program. It is a pretty lengthy read (115 pages) but if you […]

Simon JavizianThe Roto-Ray: Beauty or Beast?I just found you!!! The rotating lights are an indelible part of my memory. I was born in Detroit in the '30s and our Detroit Fire Dept had the rotating lights above the front bumper, or high up, on the end of a vertical staff. YOU COULD SEE THEM COMING BLOCKS AWAY!! What memories. I…
2017-05-22 23:54:18

Carol Mayers WingeierEnding or Beginning?Beautifully said. I know how hard it is to move on to another stage in your life but there is always something new out there, something more to learn, something more to teach another. All those skills you've learned and taught have a purpose and you never know when one of them will come in…
2017-05-06 17:30:16

BostonfireFirefighting Today HangoutWhy is it that when members of the public want to initiate a great lifesaving program, Fire Chiefs ignore them and will only work with FF's? I know a former Air Force medic who is really trying her best to initiate a Pulse Point AED program in New England, but none of the Chiefs will…
2017-01-07 00:04:19

oldnukeThirty-Five“What the **** are you thinking?” Man, you sound like my first Chief (in a good way). He never raised his voice to me or threatened me, but he got my attention (in a good way) every time. It has been forty years and I still think about him, even though I've left the (volunteer)…
2017-01-03 01:43:39

Michael "Mick" Mayers' Discussions

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